Congratulations to Team Chmura!
(Dr. Chmura's staff, pictured above from left to right, Andrea Thorpe, Deirdra Randant, Cindy Onkka, Kelly Dishaw, Christina Poleski, Karla Vincent, Denise Boughton, Dr. Louis Chmura, and Penny Chmura at the 2007 Staff Competition)
Congratulations are in order for the Orthodontic Team of Dr. Lou Chmura in Marshall, Michigan. Once again his team had a great showing at the National Orthodontic meeting in Seattle, Washington on Tuesday, May 22nd. Of the 8 National Finalists of the Staff Presentation Competition, four of them were from Dr. Chmura's office (in 2006, two of the 8 finalists and one alternate were from Dr. Chmura's office).
This year Dr. Chmura's staff presented on the following topics: Denise Boughton, Use of Information Sheets to Educate Patients; Kelly Dishaw, Using a Group Setting to Hire the Right People for Your Business; Andrea Thorpe, Teambuilding; and Deirdra Randant, Recognizing the Signs of Eating Disorders in an Orthodontic Setting.
Special honors go to Kelly Dishaw who placed 3rd this year in the country. In 2006, she placed 2nd in the country by showing Innovative Oral Hygeine sheets used to educate patients, which are currently being used by Orthodontists all over the country. In addition, she receives a $400 cash prize.
Karla is our Treatment Coordinator and she welcomes new patients to our practice and everything related to that. Karla has worked for Dr. Chmura since 2003. She loves changing the lives of people by helping our patients obtain their orthodontic goal. Karla is a native of Marshall and lives with Randy, her husband, and her two children, daughter Hayley, and son Rey. She is very involved with her children's activities, loves to garden, and is currently a lifeguard at Marshall High School in her spare time.
Kelly is our Scheduling Coordinator. Kelly has worked for Dr. Chmura since 2004 and enjoys seeing the changes in our patients, both physically and socially, as they improve their smiles. She also loves Dr. Chmura's desire to teach his team as much as he can and his faith in their abilities. Kelly is a native of Delton, Michigan, and has lived in Battle Creek for over 10 years, with her husband, Chad, and two children, TJ and Reagan. Kelly enjoys playing soccer, soccer-coaching, and being a mom.
Deirdra is our Financial Coordinator and has worked with Dr. Chmura since 2003. Deirdra's favorite aspect about orthodontics is to see how improving someone's smile can improve other areas of their life, and she loves to be able to help patients afford orthodontic care. Deirdra's favorite part of working with Dr. Chmura is knowing that she is a part of a team whose priority is taking excellent care of our patients. Deirdra is a native of Michigan and has lived in Marshall for over twenty years. She enjoys shopping, working out, and spending time with friends.
Cindy is our Clinical Coordinator. She oversees the clinic area and also orders all of our supplies. She has worked with Dr. Chmura since 2001. Cindy's favorite part of her job is interacting with the patients, and her favorite thing about working for Dr. Chmura is that he is always teaching the team new and innovative aspects of Orthodontics. A native of Riverview, Michigan, Cindy moved to Marshall in 2000 with her husband, Jeff, and their three children, Zach, Victoria, and Samantha. Cindy enjoys camping and watching her children's sporting events.
Denise is one of our Clinical Assistants and has been working in Orthodontics since 1982, and she has been working with Dr. Chmura for over 14 years. She is also responsible for our lab. Denise enjoys the end results and beautiful smiles that we create. Denise is a native of Marshall and lives with her husband, Dennis, and their three children, Jennifer, Elizabeth, and Robert. Denise enjoys spending time with her family, road trips, and collecting ice cream antiques.
Christina is one of our Clinical Assistants and has worked with Dr. Chmura since April of 2006. Christina enjoys the fact that what we do here will impact our patients' smiles forever. She loves working for Dr. Chmura because he is always encouraging his employees to do and be the best. A native of Chicago, Christina moved to Battle Creek in 2004, where she lives with her husband, Tom, and their two "children," Chihuahuas Nacho and Chili. Christina enjoys decorating, spending time with friends, and traveling to Chicago to visit family.
Andrea is one of our Clinical Assistants and has also worked with Dr. Chmura since April of 2006. She enjoys interacting with our patients and loves that the fact that she has so much fun while working. A native of Delton, she currently lives in Battle Creek with her daughter, Brionna. She enjoys the outdoors, being involved with her daughter's school activities, spending time with friends and family, and working on her new home.
Meegan is one of our Clinical Assistants, and has been working for Dr. Chmura since 2007. What she enjoys the most is seeing the most difficult cases and watching Dr. Chmura "work his magic". Meegan is a native of Battle Creek and lives there with her husband Darrell, and their two sons, Gavin and Lachlan. Meegan is also a part-time hairstylist, and enjoys gardening, and participating with her son's sporting and cub scout events.
Penny is our Insurance Billing Coordinator. She bills insurance companies and works on imaging in our office. She has worked in the field of Orthodontics since 1983. Her favorite thing about the practice of orthodontics is watching the kids grow up. She is a native of Auburn, MI, and has lived in Marshall since 1990. She enjoys knitting, golfing, and reading. Her favorite thing about working with Dr. Chmura is that he is her best friend because he is her husband!